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Monday, June 27, 2011

A Room for London: Cloud-Shaped Temporary Rooftop Hotel

Imagine enjoying your own little private enclave with a vast outdoor space and virtually unlimited view – right in the middle of London, perched atop the Queen Elizabeth Hall, no less. A competition organized by Living Architecture and Artangel called ‘A Room for London‘ sought submissions for a temporary one-bedroom ‘hotel’ that will be available to two guests per night for all of 2012, and this entry – by Design Initiatives – is almost cloud-like, floating in the space between the ground and the sky.Design Initiatives puts forth this proposal as a zen, contemplative place of withdrawal and retreat even in the midst of 2012 London, where the Olympic Games will certainly incite more activity, noise and rowdiness than ever. The abstracted curvilinear shape makes the temporary living space a sculptural object, acting as both a focal point for the city below and an overlook for the lucky guests who get to sleep within its walls.The soft, organic, biomorphic shape of the hotel is a jarring yet welcome contrast to the harsh brutalist architecture of the building upon which it will rest. Pre-fabricated in two separate pieces for ease of transport and made from lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer, the structure is fittingly ephemeral.The living space is enclosed with one all-glass wall, giving occupants protection from the London climate but maintaining a view of the city at all times. Inside, the small room is made functional through multi-purpose furniture; Design Initiatives imagines an all-in-one hybrid piece that combines the bed, sofa, desk, coffee table, bedside table and a shelf. Attached to this compact and cozy space is a covered terrace that provides a transition between the room itself and the open air of the rooftop.